Social workers urged to define doctors’ role in child protection

The General Medical Council is calling on social workers and other professionals for evidence about doctors’ roles and responsibilities in child protection.

The GMC is asking social workers along with health professionals, doctors in all areas of practice, police, lawyers, children and young people and their families and carers to give evidence which will inform new GMC guidance for all doctors involved in child protection work.

The new guidance, which should be produced by the end of 2011, is aimed at helping doctors involved in this area of work to ‘meet the standards of professional conduct and performance that is expected of them’.

Respondents are asked questions around consent and confidentiality, doctors’ relationships with parents and carers and the training and support offered to doctors.

The GMC wants examples of when things went well as well as problems or difficulties in the area.

The consultation, which is the first step in producing the guidance, is open until 24 September and is available here https://gmc.e-consultation.net/econsult/default.aspx